de souchet



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. M. DE SOUGHET.

TOY.

No. 597,519. Patented Jan. 18,1898.

auzcmha. MOM W%LQW Gavan-0 1 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

AM. DE SOUOHETQ TOY.

No. 597,519. Patented Jan. 18, 1898.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 (No Model.)

A. M. DE SOUCHET.

TOY.

Patented Jan. 18,1898.

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UNITED STA'rns ATENT tries.

nueusrus M. nn souonn'r,

OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

TOY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,519, dated J anuary 18, 1898. Application filed March 16, 1397- Serial No. 627,902. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS M. DE SOU- CHET, of-lndianapolis, county of Marion, and State of In diana, have inven ted a certain new and useful Toy; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which like figures refer to like parts.

This toy consists chiefly of two species of building blocks or pieces, one of which may be considered the main building-block and the other means for joining such main blocks together.

The purpose of the invention is to furnish children a cheap and simple set of building blocks or pieces with which almost an endless Variety of forms and structures may be made, as their fancy may suggest. Theforms and structures, too, that are capable of being made are such as children will most appreciate. I have here shown only a few designs or structures to illustrate the capabilities of these blocks or pieces. They are specially adapted for kindergarten use, as the form of almost anything can be represented by them, and they can be easily put together by the child. The full nature of the pieces and their cooperation will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the description and claims following.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a set of my building blocks or pieces joined to show a certain design. of the base-block. Fig. 3 is a cross-section through one of the blocks, the joining pieces or disks being shown in place in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the main pieces, showing the slots in the two ends and one side thereof. 5 is a perspective of one of the joining blocks or disks. Fig. 6 represents the blocks set up to-show a line of soldiers. Fig. '7 shows the blocks set up to represent a star, wheel, or similar figure. Figs. 8 and 9 show possible figures that may be made. Figs. 10 and 11 show sections of an animal as forming the main blocks.

In detail I use one or more base-blocks 1. This is preferably about six inches square, with its edges beveled, as shown. In the center of it I rigidly secure one of the dowels or joining pieces or disks 2. I do this bysawing Fig. 2 is a plan.

a groove 3 in the base-block and inserting the glue or any other suitable fastening. I provide a main block 4 in such numbers as may be desired, twelve being preferably a set. These blocks are preferably about six inches in length, aboutoue and three-eighths inches in width, and about three-eighths inch in thickness. Their ends are preferably beveled or cut pointed, as shown, with the point formin g as nearly a true right angle as it is possible to make. The purpose of this is that when four blocks are brought together, as seen in the middle of Fig. 1, the joints will be sung. With a saw of suitable gage I make a slot 5 at each end and a slot 6 on each side, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The slots at the end are preferably formed as shown in Fig. 3, being cut in to an extent equal to the radius of one of the circular dowels or j aiming-pieces 2. This permits four of the blocks to be brought together and joined by one of the dowels or joining-pieces tight and snug, as seenin the middle of Fig. 1. It also permits two dowels to be inserted in one of these end slots, one being on one side and one on the other side, or three at each end, one beiugin the extreme end and one on each side, as shown in Fig.9. The slots 6 are made preferably in the form shown in Fig. 3, with a slightly larger curve than the dowel or joining-piece 2. The dowels or joining-pieces 2 are preferably about one and seven-eighths inches in diameter and in thickness are Very slightly greater than the width of the slots, so that the dowel will wedge into the slots. These dowels or joinand not planed or polished, so that they will have rough surfaces, whereby they will hold together much more securely. The whole toy, therefore, consists of the three pieces shown in Figs. 2, 4:, and 5, multiplied as desired. The use of the side slots is illustrated in the upper part of Fig. 1. The pieces are suitably colored or stained, preferably in different colors or combinations of colors. Any

desired illustration or picture can be placed on the sides of the blocked. For example, on one side of the blocks may be shown a row of soldiers and on the other side the members of a band of musicians, so that when the blocks are set up, as in Fig. 6, they will repjoining piece or disk in such groove within g-pieces,as well as the slots,should be sawed resent a rowof soldiers when looked at from.

one side and a band when looked at from the other, or any otherdesired pictures may be lIS applied, as thefancy may suggest. a; I I It is observed that the pieces in this toy ar very simple and cheap and they are also strong and durable if made out of the right kind of wood. The slots in the blocks 4 are of such nature that lit verystrongconnection six feet high, and yet they'wou'ld be held upright on the base-block 1, or they may be in "Such lengthened: form curved to form a s'us pension-bridge, with one end fastenedto the block ,1,-and the structure will still stand, or a tree may be formed with onezor two pieces at the bottom on the block 1, as the trunk, and with, a branching top and it will I still stand. -Inqfact, there 'i is nofpracti'cal limit to the number and kinds of figures that- I maybe made'by one or .two sets of these pieces. 'The JOiDIHg-IPIGCQS are more easily inserted or removed by rolling them into the y slots instead of pushing them in directly, and

to this end the walls of the slots are preferably curved, as in the middle ones, orinclined, asin those at the i ends." A child that could not insert or remove a joining-piece directly can easily roll it in or out of these slots. \Vhile circular joining-pieces are preferable, it is evident that square or hectagonal or other formed joining-pieces may be used.

The form of the main blocks may be modified, as desired. In Figs. 10 and 11 the sections of a dog form such blocks. By the same method any other animal or a person may be formed in sections, and by making the grooves in the edges of the blocks on the various sides, as has been described, the animal may be properly or fancifully put together. The connecting-pieces maybe small or large disks or otherwise formed to suit, so long as their thickness is enough greater than the width of the grooves to cause them to stick in their grooves firmly when inserted.

I am aware that pins and similar joiningpieces have been used in mortises in timbers for joining them together in various kinds of frames-and buildings, the connection being permanent. I am also aware that the parts "ble for the child.

circular 'j oining-pieces, the series of'slots all i use by a child as'a toy wherewith he can make an infinite variety ofshapes and designs of construction. L I

I am also aware of the Patent No. 101,179,

issued March 22, 1870, to Swift, for toy building-blocks, wherein blocks designed to be united to form a definite" structure, like a churclrhuilding,are provided at one point with a slit to receive a Zinc strip for holding them together in theproper placeiin thestructure; but no structure could be made by such toy excepting what its parts had been previously designed for, no freedom or choice of structure or design being permitted or possi- My toy, by reason of its around the edge of each block, the right-angled pointing ofithe blocks,.and the curved orinclined'faces of theslots in the blocks, en- I ables an infinite variety of forms, designs, and structures to'bemade by the child, as his mind may suggest; also, by reason of these:

features he can with great ease join the parts in any way he wishes, so that they will re tain the position desired, and he can as readilydisjoin them.

. LA toy comprising blocks whose endsare I pointed and Whose ends and sides are slotted, and removable joining-pieces of such thickness as to wedge in the slots and hold the blocks together.

2. A toy comprising blocks whose ends are pointed to a right angle and slotted, and removable joining-pieces of such thickness as to wedge in the slots and hold the blocks together.

3. A toy comprising blocks whose ends are pointed to a right angle and provided with a slot extending across the end and partially down each side of the block, substantially as shown, and removable circular joiningpieces that wedge into the slots and hold the blocks together in any desired position.

at. A toy comprising blocks with a series of slots in their edges, the ends of said slots being curved or inclined from the edges of the block, substantially as shown, and removable j oinin g-pieces substantially circular and thick enough to wedge in the slots and hold the blocks together.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of March, 1897.

AUGUSTUS M. DE SOUOHET.

Witnesses:

ZULA GREEN, V. H. LocKwooD. 

